- Goldy | The Stranger
- Tidy rows of arugula and lettuce sprouts just days away from their first delicious thinning.
Two weeks ago, I direct sowed peas, lettuce, and arugula, and it turned out to be perfect timing. Since then the weather has been relatively warm and wet, providing the ideal conditions for germination. I peeked under my floating row covers this weekend to find neat rows of arugula and lettuce sprouts, along with a bed full of snap and snow peas just starting to poke above the surface.
- Goldy | The Stranger
- Peas! Yay! Can’t wait ’til May!
There’s still plenty of time for things to wrong: a hard freeze, relentless pounding rains, malevolent pests and other wildlife. I found a largish slug in the pea bed with a trail of slime and destruction behind him. Our mild winter has virtually assured a nasty slug and snail problem this year. But there’s a good chance that backyard gardeners who cast seeds early this year will likely be rewarded with an earlier than usual first harvest.
As for my overwintered crops, the surviving lettuce and collards look awfully ugly at the moment while the kale and mustard continue to produce. I’m guessing I’ll be damn sick of kale in another month or so. But a small patch of broccoli raab is providing an unexpected late winter treat. I’d actually planted it as a fall crop, and got a disappointing harvest, but am getting a tender second crop from the surviving plants.
- Goldy | The Stranger
- Tender broccoli raab florets are currently spicing up my salads and stir fries.
So… how’s your garden growing?